Favoured at last by fine weather the members of the Shanghai Fire Brigade had their annual parade and competition for the Insurance Association's shield on Saturday afternoon. At 3 p.m. the various companies formed up on the French Bund, and the gathering attracted a very large crowd of spectators. The police from the Central Station did good service in keeping the roadway clear and the troopers under Sergeant Spottiswoode maintained anu obstructed route to the Public Recreation Ground. The companies on parade were Mibholoong, No. 1, 3 reels, 2 hook wud ladder trucks and 1 fire escape.
Deluge No. 2, 1 engine and 2 reels.
Hongkew No. 4, 1 engine and 2 reels, Lo Torrent (French) No. 6, 1 engine and 2 reels.
Victoria, No. 7, 1 engine and 2 reels, 'The turn-out was in every way creditable to our firemen, the reels, trucks and engines being in'spick and span order and the helmets' and uniforms of the men ifed to the pride they take in their Mr. Lewis Moore, whom a inly was heard to describe as louking just like one of those old Romans," had charge of the procession and soon the brigade was Dowling along the Malvo with galloping horses and clanging gongs, the red-painted reels, etc, and the shining brass helmets of the men making an imposing spectacle. A large crowd assembled on the Public Recreation Ground and in a little while the contest was in full swing. The Deluge mon were the first called upon. 'Choy came with a fine rush to the hydrant, " couple of the members tumbling over each other at the connecting place. They yot their three lengths fixed in workmanlike style, replaced the supposed burst length, and uncoupled first' and second lengths and placed the goose neck to supply two streams in ex pital order, and finished by reviing up very smartly.
The Victorias followed, but did not cut so yood a figure and through getting water on before the nozzle was fixed, they were disqualified.
he Hongkew men, who were considered to have agood show, were hampered by the bystanders, with the result that they failed to hear the orders given, The other foremen gave them another trial, but their time failed to reach that of the Deluge.
The Frenchmen, red-shirted and yellow breeched, next essayed a try for the shield, and at first they certainly looked like bei close up for the finish, but, fortune de guerre, they unluckily used' the length of hose supposed to have been burst, and this put them out of action.
The Mihholoongs went through the routine very well and would certainly have done better had they been accorded room. Messrs. A. E. Jones and R. MoGrogor, After the competition the time-keepers,
handed in' their reports with the result that the Deluge Company were declared the w nes taken were as follows 30secs., 19sees., 44sec: ces. secs., Qlsecs., ATsecs, 91 ihholoonys—47secs., 53secs., 46secs., The following were the teams Deluge—A. BE. Algar, foreman, H. W. Parkhill, G. J.T. Newman, W. G. Young:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.